Serviceable Life Guidelines

Serviceable life is the period of time protective clothing and footwear, which has been properly cared for, can be expected to provide reasonable limited protection. The serviceable life of personal protective equipment is dependent upon the amount and severity of field use and exposure the equipment has experienced. Contributing factors include the durability of the material components selected, storage conditions and the frequency and extent of cleaning and maintenance. Failure to properly care for this equipment will lead to a shortening of the service life.

As all of the factors determining service life can vary from one user to another, it is difficult to provide definitive serviceable life schedules. However, the following may be used as general guidelines for average serviceable life based on experience, understanding that some gear may last longer and some not as long.